Sometimes Shit Happens For A Reason
by consultingtrickster
Summary: Post-Avengers, Tony has to deal with a gang using old Stark weapons, but that's not the worst of his problems. Slash, multiple pairings, sorry, I'm rubbish at summaries...
1. Chapter 1

Tony Stark was having a fucking terrible week, and it was only Friday yet. Two more days available to be absolutely shitty in that week, and that was the way they looked like they were going to go. Nothing seemed to be going the way he wanted it to, and it was all the fault of one man, Steve Rogers. Or at least that's what the billionaire was telling himself as he tossed back yet another shot of rum. The man seemed to be set on butting in to every aspect of his life, which well, wasn't going very well at the moment anyway, and he hated it. The terrible week, like most terrible weeks, had started on a Monday.

The Monday had seemed innocent enough, starting out with him getting up around noon… Nice and early. He dressed in one of his favourite suits, then wandered down into the kitchen. It seemed Pepper had left him a note, along with instructions on how to heat up his breakfast, which Tony rolled his eyes at, shaking his head. It wasn't like he'd forget how to operate a microwave… The dark haired man put his plate in the machine after picking off the vegetables with a fork, then had to quickly stop the microwave, to open the door and remove the fork, before it blew the machine up. Well, Tony mused, there would be absolutely no reason to tell Pepper about that particular incident…

He managed to get his breakfast heated up, then ate it, munching on some blueberries, as well as the reheated bacon and eggs. Tony then checked his email and his text messages, deleting them all without replying, besides the couple from Pepper, which he took the time to reply to with clever smart ass comments before putting his phone away and walking down to the R&D floor, where Bruce Banner was working on some particle physics.

"Ah! What the- Oh… Hello Tony…" Bruce startled, then rolled his eyes as Tony had slipped up beside him and used a electromagnet to pull the metal pen out of the other scientist's hand. He took the pen back, finishing jotting down the equation before turning to give his friend a small smile. "Good morning, is it Tony?"

"Afternoon, really… It is after the hour of twelve noon, though the argument could be made that since I did just wake up it is actually morning for me, but it would be a pretty shitty argument." he shrugged, popping a berry in his mouth. "Whatcha writing there anyway?" he leaned in, reading the numbers and letters the shorter man had written down, taking the pen and making a new line of figures below the one he had. "See?"

Bruce leaned in close beside him, nodding and pushing his glasses up a little. "Yeah… But then if I substitute in something else for x it doesn't actually work anymore…. We need it to work with any number, not just the even ones." he sighed, rubbing his face, at which time Tony took advantage of his open mouth and closed eyes to place a berry in his mouth.

"Mm! Hey!" the doctor chuckled, pulling away a little and chewing the fruit, swallowing it and clearing his throat. "Next one just… hand it to me, okay?" he raised a brow, looking at the other man with an amused smile before looking over to Steve, who'd just walked in, and was frowning at them. "If you two would act like mature adults for once, we have a problem."

The captain walked over, offering what was in his hand to Tony, who shook his head, muttering, "I don't get handed things, Steve…" To which the blonde man rolled his eyes, handing Bruce the folder with S.H.E.I.L.D's insignia on the cover, and leaned on the counter, looking at the scientist with disdain before turning his gaze back to Tony. "Look, there's been a string of robberies in the area lately, and yeah, I know this wouldn't be your type of thing Tony, usually I would deal with it myself, with the NYPD's help… But I thought you might want to get involved."

The billionaire frowned, then raised a brow, walking a little closer to the blonde. "So, captain dramatic, you gonna tell me what's going on, or are you waiting for some flashing lights for your big reveal?"

"They're using your old guns Tony… Stark industries stuff from a few years back.. We don't know how they're getting a hold of them, but the entire gang is using Stark technology… All of them." He gestured to the pictures Tony was now flipping through, then glanced over to Bruce again before speaking once more. "We need Iron Man, Tony… Will you come with me, please?"

Tony handed Bruce back the folder then nodded to Steve, giving a little smile, though his eyes were still very serious. "Yeah, just let me get changed….I don't think this is the right suit for the job." he chuckled, gesturing to his clothing. The captain nodded, and took the folder back, telling Tony he'd wait for him downstairs.

After he got into the Iron Man suit, Tony met him downstairs, and flew over the car as they headed down the way to where the bank robbers were just arriving to meet with their accomplices. Tony blew up their car with the repulsors in his hands, then Cap was able to capture the one who seemed to be the ringleader of that particular group of gangsters, while the others were occupied with trying to fight off Tony with their Stark guns.

They took the gang, or at least the part of it that was there, into custody, the police captain thanking Tony and Steve before sending them on their way. "I'm going to head back home… Maybe Bruce isn't finished the experiment yet and I can see how that turns out…"

"I thought maybe we could possibly spend some time together though… Catch a football game or something at the local bar…"Steve waved his hand dismissively as if to say it wasn't a big deal. "I know you don't like me very much Tony, but I think the group dynamic might work a little better if I knew more about you…"

"Look… Cap… No offense, but I'd rather be working on physics. Maybe another time blondie." Tony gave a little smile, then flew back to the tower, landing and quickly changing back into his suit before heading back to join Bruce in the lab. Pepper called though, half way through Tony's play by play of the fight, so he stepped back and answered his phone…

"Hey Pepper!" he grinned into the phone, "Listen, I'm a little busy right now… Just got back in-"

"Yes, I saw on the news… Tony, you forgot again, didn't you?" She sighed into the phone, exasperation tingeing the tone of her voice.

"Umm…. Did you want me to pick up something? Or… Ah.." Tony scrambled to remember what it was that he had been supposed to remember, his fingers tapping on his elbow as he paced a little.

"We had a lunch date Tony… I'll see you when I get home… If you're not busy." she sighed, hanging up on the very confused man, who stared at his phone for a few seconds before shrugging and going back to finish telling Bruce about the fight. When he was finished with that and the experiments, Tony went upstairs, ordering Pepper's favourite chef to come in and make their dinner, having the table set nicely with some wine and a dish of fillet mignon, with vegetables and garlic bread.

When Pepper came in, she smiled widely and accepted Tony's over exaggerated apology as she sat to eat the meal. At the end of the meal, Tony walked over to her end of the table, gently taking her hand and helping her to her feet, before leading her to the bedroom. He kissed her softly at first, his hands carefully and gently moving to slowly remove her clothing. He only paused to remove his own suit as he trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, sucking there gently.

They moved over to the bed when they were both nude, Tony grabbing a rubber and putting it on as she lay back on the bed, waiting for him. The brunette climbed on top of her carefully, leaning down to trail gentle, biting kisses down her jaw and neck, across her collarbone and over her breasts, pausing to pay attention to each in turn.

He kissed down to her hip, then moved back up to her lips, kissing her deeply as one hand made it's way between her legs, slipping inside her a little to gently rub against her. He made small circles with his fingertips, waiting until she was quivering and asking him for it, before moving his hands to her hips and gripping them as he pushed into her slowly.

Tony gave her a minute to adjust, then started moving his hips in smooth motions, gradually building speed until he was pounding into her at near full speed. It only took a few minutes before the both of them climaxed, Tony leaning in to kiss her afterwards before pulling out and going to the washroom to get rid of the rubber and wash up a bit. He rejoined her in the bed after, pulling her close against his body and falling fast asleep, all the activity of the day entirely tuckering him out.


	2. Chapter 2

The Monday really hadn't been so bad… For a Monday, but the week was just beginning at that point. Tuesday was pretty average, if your definition of normal was doing science experiments, and fighting gangsters shooting at you with bazookas, which was Tony's definition of normal, so it was fine with him… but Wednesday… Wednesday was a bitch. And not just a bitch like, some annoying chick who you dump in high school who goes around after the fact telling everyone who will listen that she dumped you instead, because you have a tiny dick.

No. This was more like that one you see hanging out with the big jocks, who complain about people being fake, but the only real thing about them is their innards, because they've been tanning and bleaching and injecting so much that they look like Barbie dolls, and act like everyone who doesn't look like they're made of plastic is beneath them and should be worshipping the very ground that they walk on. That kind of bitch.

Tony woke up that morning to an empty bed again, and a note from Pepper, telling him that he could eat cereal that morning as she was in a hurry to get her work done early that day, in preparation for the early dinner and evening out he'd promised her the night before, after once again missing a lunch date to fight the gang.

Now that he thought about it, Tony mused, he seemed to be missing a lot of dates with Pepper… Good thing she was always so understanding, he told himself with a smile, then got out of bed and stretched before heading into the washroom and showering. The billionaire trimmed his beard when he got out of the shower, then combed his hair a little, grinning at himself in the mirror. Damn he was good looking. He wandered back into the bedroom, looking through his dresser and closet a bit before picking something out. He wasn't going anywhere special until what he had planned with Pepper, so casual would do just fine….

Tony got dressed in jeans, one of his vintage rock band shirts and a pair of jeans, then made his way down to the kitchen, eating the cereal and drinking his coffee, happily watching himself on the television. He always enjoyed seeing himself on the news before he was Iron Man, and now it was even cooler, because he got to see himself being bad-ass and blowing shit up, as well as being able to see if there were any flaws in the design of the suit from a different perspective than he had whilst wearing it.

After he was finished his breakfast, Tony made his way down to the garage, tinkering with a few of his cars, adding a turbo boost to one, and fixing the transmission on another. He did routine check ups on all of his cars, murmuring to the older ones and making side notes on which parts would need replacement soon. He finished up with the auto mechanics, then got to his feet, covered head to toe in grease and oil.

The brunette washed up a little, then made his way once more to the R&D department, sneaking up on Bruce and grabbing his sides this time to startle him with a grin. "Hey Bruce! What are we working on today?"

"Wasn't sure what to do for today's experiment actually…. Was just looking over a few different theories on the internet… Seeing if there was anything we could prove or disprove, or improve on… Whatever was needed.. But there really doesn't seem to be much here to work with…" the doctor rubbed his face, then put his glasses back on, giving Tony a soft smile. "I bet you're just brimming with ideas, aren't you though?"

"Ha ha…. Yeah, you got me…" Tony laughed, grinning and gesturing to himself in a jokingly guilty manner. "I was hoping to work with some radiation today, if that's okay with you… I mean, if that makes you uncomfortable-"

"No… No it's fine Tony… We just have to be careful…" Bruce gave another soft smile, moving a little closer to him, "Radiation can be really unstable sometimes… If you bring different types to close together, there's not really any precise way of predicting what will happen if that exact situation hasn't occurred before."

"I hear ya man… And don't worry… We'll be careful… Green really isn't my colour." he patted the other scientist's back, then got to work, setting up the different reactive chambers in the room to hold different types of radiation, telling Jarvis to fill them up with the correct types.

Tony had just finished up working on a particularly complicated biology experiment with Bruce, trying to see how human DNA reacted when exposed directly to bits of different radiation. They had used microwave, gamma and simulated solar radiation, when Steve came in. The blonde cleared his throat, glancing again in annoyance to how the scientist was standing very close to the billionaire, before looking back and clearing his throat again. "Hey, if you're not too busy with the science experiments, we've got them. We were able to trace the small amounts of radiation in the larger weapons, and followed the signal to their headquarters… Thought you might want to come and deal with them yourself."

"Hell yeah." Was Tony's response, followed by running out of the room to go get his suit. Steve gave Bruce a little smug smile, to which the doctor replied with a little nod and a slightly confused expression. Steve met Tony outside again, giving him the co-ordinates for the headquarters, which they drove- and flew- off to quickly.

The destination was a warehouse, located just off the edge of town, near the docking bay for the larger cargo ships. The gang was importing the Stark weapons from somewhere overseas it appeared, as they were often seen driving trucks with the large metal containers on the back in the direction of the warehouse, coming from the docks.

Tony had a few ideas as to who was behind the whole thing, but for now, he would wait… See what they found at the headquarters before pointing any fingers in the corporate world…. He knew just how dangerous that could be.

As they neared the warehouse, Tony flew down near the ground, alongside the captain, who was riding a motorcycle with his shield in front. The man in the red and gold shot the doors open and they entered shooting, Tony blasting things apart with his repulsors as Steve assessed the situation.

Minutes after arriving, they discovered very quickly that it was indeed a trap laid out for Tony, the gangsters stepping out from behind storage crates after ducking there when the two men entered the building. Tony noticed he was at a disadvantage for once, the gang members having bazookas that were powerful enough to blast off bits of Tony's suit if they hit him. He was kept busy dodging those, as the captain attempted to make his way to the back of the place, trying to find the light switch to throw the gang into the darkness and disorient them so that they could escape and call for backup to take out the group.

Tony managed to spot the ringleader of the group, and shoot a blast into the pile of boxes beside him, trapping him under a shipment of guns. While he was distracted by that, the gang members used that opportunity to commit to a full assault on the man's suit, while one of them ran into the back to get the most powerful bazooka they had.

By the time Steve managed to get the light off, Tony had been hit in the side by the rocket launcher, and was barely managing to hold them off. He had passed out just as Steve reached him, the soldier scooping him up in his arms and carrying him, suit and all, running as fast as he could towards the nearest hospital.

His heart was pounding in his ears, and he could see sparks leaping across the hole in Tony's suit. The arc reactor was still glowing steadily, which provided a base amount of reassurance, but not much. The blonde man ran and ran and ran, breathing ragged and painful in his lungs as he was yelling to Tony that everything would be okay, and that he needed to hold on.. Just hold on…


	3. Chapter 3

"I need a doctor here now!" Steve yelled as he carried Tony into the emergency ward, the man's body hanging limp and lifeless in his arms. "NOW" he yelled again at the startled hospital staff, who sprang into action, leading him down the hall to a room where he could put Tony down on a bed. The doctors swarmed around him, trying and failing to get the suit off him as his condition steadily worsened.

The super-soldier shoved them aside, grabbing the edge of his helmet and prying it off, putting an oxygen mask on his face and watching as his condition started to stabilize. He pulled the suit apart piece by piece, until Tony was laying in his black skintight suit which he wore underneath the metal one, on the table, his chest shakily moving in deep, painful breaths.

The doctors escorted Steve out of the room then, telling him to wait in the reception area like everyone else as they worked on Tony. They set his cracked ribs and pulled the tiny amount of shrapnel out of his side, none of the minimal damage having reached anywhere near his heart and the arc reactor thankfully. The suit seemed to have taken most of the damage, as it was designed to do, and if Tony had been conscious, he would have pointed out his own brilliance in designing the suit like that.

His side was bandaged up, then the unconscious billionaire was moved to his own comfortable room, where he was hooked up to an IV, though no oxygen as he was able to breathe easily on his own. The worst thing seemed to have been the head injury, but that was rapidly healing, for what it was.

Tony didn't wake until around noon on Thursday, and when he did, the first thing he saw was Steve Rogers, looking at him with concern, then a huge grin as he saw he was awake. "Tony! You're alright! I was so worried… How does your side feel?"

"Mm… Where…Where's my suit…?" Tony frowned, looking around groggily, then trying to move a bit. "Oh.. Damn that hurts…but I'm okay" he muttered, then looked back to Steve. "The gang… You guys got them all, yeah? I trapped the head honcho back there… Did you guys get him?"

"Yeah… Yeah Tony… We got them all… Thanks to you… Are you sure you're okay?" Tony nodded, and Steve smiled. "Good… Good…"

"My suit Steve… Where is it?" Tony frowned, watching as Steve's expression went from grinning to slightly apologetic. "Well. Um… I kind of had to break it the rest of the way Tony… Sent it back to your place though… so it could be repaired…" he nodded, seeing that Tony didn't seem in the least bit annoyed.

"Good.. Good…. I can get home and fix that as soon as this mends a bit more…" Suddenly he remembered what he was supposed to do with Pepper and groaned, hitting his own forehead. "Shit shit shit shit shit…." he looked to Steve, then held out his hand. "Cell phone. Now."

Steve nodded, handing him the phone and stepping back as the billionaire called his girlfriend. Tony took a deep breath as he listened to the phone ring… and ring… and ring… then finally. "What do you want Tony?" Pepper's voice stung with annoyance and impatience as she nearly spat into the phone. "I'm busy, make it brief."

"I'm…. sorry." Tony sighed into the phone, then rubbed his face. "I forgot about the date… I was-"

"Too busy running around in your suit again… Look Tony, there are police for a reason! It's not your job to deal with all the criminals in this city and it's constantly getting in the way of us!"

"I'm sorry Pepper, I would have gotten back in time-" Tony began, but was cut off again.

"Sorry? Tony you keep doing this! Don't say you would have been back in time when you know full well that's a lie!"

"Pepper I am in the hospital! I was shot with a rocket launcher, that's why I missed the date, okay?!" Tony yelled into the phone, then listened to the dead silence on the other end for thirty seconds before she spoke again.

"Tony… That's exactly why you shouldn't be doing this. I tried to tell you before-"

"Pepper please…. Don't start that again." Tony groaned into the phone, his voice nearly pleading.

"I can't do this." she whispered after a few minutes of painful silence, then cleared her throat, speaking clearly into the phone. "Tony… I can't do this. I can't be with you if you insist on risking your life every single day… If you keep missing out on being with me, in order to run around and play police, taking the risk of losing your life…. You're already so weak with your heart issues… And if something else happens to you… I can't live with that fear."

"W..What are you saying Pepper?" Tony's voice was shaking and he swallowed against the hard lump that had just appeared in his throat as she had spoken, hoping against hope that he was somehow misinterpreting what the woman was saying and that it wasn't what he thought it was...

"You need to make a decision Tony. Me or Iron Man… I won't decide for you and I won't try and talk you out of what you choose, but you do have to choose. Either you and I continue having a relationship, or you continue to be Iron Man, and I am merely the head of your company. Let me know tomorrow morning… I'll drop by the hospital on my way to a meeting I have in that end of the city… Swing by and talk to you then. Goodbye Tony." She hung up on him then, leaving him shaking and conflicted.

"Tony… Are you alright?" Steve asked quietly, stepping a little closer.

"Go away Steve… Just… GO away…" he growled, glaring at the man, then turning away as he left the room, holding himself and thinking. He couldn't give up being Iron Man.. It was part of him… And there would be people who needed his help… There were things he needed to be Iron Man to do… Even just some work on the clean energy he was able to use the suit to do… There was no way he could just… Stop.

But then there was Pepper. He needed Pepper. He loved her- Didn't he? It wasn't like he had been planning on marrying her anytime soon, but it had been assumed… That eventually… But she'd changed… Ever since he'd flown into the portal with the nuke, and fallen to the earth, nearly losing his life, she'd been telling him he needed to stop… Needed to be more careful… That being Iron Man would destroy him one way or the other…. And now she was finally putting an end to it, it seemed… Telling him that if he wanted to do that… She wouldn't stay at his side any longer.

Tony curled up tighter on his side, focusing on trying to get to sleep… To heal some before he had to talk to Pepper the following day… Before he had to tell her his decision. His head was aching and his side ached a little, but not too badly… His heart felt strangely painful, and he had to check a few times to see that his arc reactor wasn't malfunctioning as he lay there.

There had to be some way… Anything he could do to persuade Pepper to allow him to continue with being Iron Man… His mind reeled with ideas, from the ridiculous idea of making another suit, to fit Pepper, and having her fly around with him, to the even more impossible and dangerous idea of attempting to get her to change her mind. Tony allowed himself to fall asleep eventually, the thought of preventing the death of his and Pepper's relationship still warring ferociously with the thought of staying Iron Man…


End file.
